Tackling a big, big challenge

Warren High hired Carver as its new varsity head football coach at an evening board meeting on Monday, March 21.

He will be succeeding Anthony Fish, who “guided” the Warriors to a 1-19 overall record in two years at the helm. Last season, the royal blue and white gridders finished winless at 0-10 for the first time since the conclusion of both the 2002 and 2003 campaigns.

Last fall, Warren was blanked in six games, and scored only 34 points the entire season.

Fish’s only Warren win came in his debut season when the Warriors defeated Marietta High, 19-8, in the second game of the 2014 campaign.

Not surprisingly, Fish’s contract was not renewed at the end of the 2015 football year. Fish currently is a law enforcement officer in Athens.

Carver will be joining a football program which currently has an 18-game losing streak, and hasn’t had a winning season since going 7-3 under the leadership of Jim Pifer in 2009.

Under four-year boss Andy Schob, the Warriors did break even in 2011 and 2010 with identical 5-5 marks. Schob has since moved on and is the principal at Fort Frye High School.

Since 2001, Warren has had – counting Carver, now – eight head football coaches.

No doubt, Carver is probably a little familiar with Warren’s history on the football field. Can he turn things around?

Well, he’s certainly going to try.

In some parts of the Buckeye State, where he’s coached prep football for most of his career, he’s known as the “Doctor of Sick Football.”

If he can somehow resusitate Warren football, that may change to “Miracle Worker.”

During several stops on his prep coaching journey, Carver started a football program, where there was none, at Pendleton County High in Kentucky.

When he was at Greenon, he knows what a winless season feels like, too.

He also has impressive credentials, having twice been named Champaign County Coach of the Year. Once, he was named D2 Southwest District Football Coach of the Year.

He’s also received the OHSAA Victory Award.

Carver’s never won a state title, and he’s not promising Warren one, either.

Carver’s primary objective will be to get Warren football back on its feet. And, yet, the Warriors may still lose more games than they win next season.

But there’s really no reason why the royal blue and white can’t be competitive on the gridiron again, no matter who’s holding the reins, right?